FCBA Looking to Focus More on Technology, New Service Opportunities

The FCBA will focus more on tech and its effect on industries, Dori said. “The FCBA will focus on issues broader in scope than the regulated industry.” The “issues for technology companies and communications companies are becoming one and the same,” he said during another interview. For example, accessibility requirements previously only affected phone companies, but the 2010 Communications and Video Accessibility Act extended the requirements to other companies as well, he said: The FCC exemplifies this trend by “now thinking more broadly to technology areas."

Individuals from small tech companies will comprise more of FCBA’s membership as they realize the association’s importance to them and Washington’s influence on their companies, Dori said. “As technology companies come to Washington, some might find it useful being involved with the FCBA,” said FCBA President Laura Phillips. She equated the potential increase in membership from tech companies to past membership increases from employees of Google and Microsoft. The change could manifest itself in new continuing legal education (CLE) classes and new committees, Dori said. “There’s an increasing desire to see CLEs focused not only on policy issues but how the technology works.” The committees plan about 22 CLEs with varying topics each year, which average about 62 participants and generally receive positive feedback, said FCBA Executive Director Stan Zenor.

The group’s beginning to incorporate more social media. Each of the chapters uses Facebook pages, said Zenor. “It has potential in the future, but it’s not something the membership and marketing see as a priority.” He said he thinks social media like LinkedIn and Twitter already overwhelm many members: “They just don’t see it as a pressing need to add one more thing.” The FCBA has discussed creating a membership directory mobile app, Zenor said. But it hasn’t discussed potential development costs, and “we would want to make sure that the membership data is protected,” he said. The FCBA experienced a deficit each year: $14,011 in 2007, $103,489 in 2008, and $23,804 in 2009. Donations to the foundation have been on the increase, from $237,202 in 2008 rising the following year and to $355,906 in 2010.

The Young Lawyers Committee is expanding its law student recruitment beyond Washington law schools to the University of Colorado and Syracuse University, said committee co-Chairman Brendan Carr. The committee is working to provide additional opportunities for young lawyers by placing them on more panels and encouraging events and brownbag luncheons focused on their interests, he said. The committee has discussed increasing the membership of FCC officials, who can mentor and network with young lawyers, he said. Jeremy Berkowitz joined the FCBA before graduating from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law two years ago. Through the committee’s educational events and networking opportunities, he learned the scope of telecom law and networked with professionals in the field, he said: “Having a network has given me a leg up in terms of finding jobs."

The Young Lawyers Committee is also emphasizing more partnership with the 2012 Charity Auction beneficiary Transitional Housing Corp., said Carr. He also chairs the auction committee, which runs the event every November with the collaboration of the FCBA Foundation. The committee previously donated the $75,000 to $100,000 it raised annually to charities like Bright Beginnings and Horton’s Kids and maybe offered one service event, FCBA members said. About nine Young Lawyers Committee members volunteered with last year’s beneficiary, Food For All, Carr said. This year, he wants to plan three or four events, like furnishing an apartment or mentoring youth, to introduce members to the charity before the auction. The Charity Auction committee will use a Facebook page ("FCBA Charity Auction” at http://bit.ly/NJKbde), Twitter account ("@FCBACharity” at http://on.fb.me/MjUo0f) and a subcommittee on volunteerism to encourage volunteering at the events, Carr said.

Social media marketing may also encourage volunteers for FCBA Foundation activities, said Howard Weiss, an active foundation volunteer and former executive committee member. The foundation is considering using social media, and a board member has expressed interest in it, said foundation Chairman Karen Brinkmann. Weiss said one-on-one networking works best for encouraging participation. He also suggested that committee sponsorship of volunteer Sundays could increase volunteer numbers. Central Union Mission may provide more volunteer opportunities for the foundation in addition to Martha’s Table, Weiss said. Only five or six FCBA members volunteer at Martha’s Table the last Sunday of each month, he said. “We could do more, though Martha’s pretty stacked up volunteer-wise.” The nonprofit provider of food and other services to the poor needs only a few FCBA volunteers due to the nature of the work, said Phillips, a past Martha’s volunteer.

The foundation also recently took groups of 10 to 15 kids from Martha’s Table to visit the Google offices, Sirius XM, and WJLA-TV Washington, Weiss said. Disc jockeys for Sirius XM’s 60s Live and Kids Place Live channels included the kids on their shows, said FCBA Membership and Marketing Committee Co-Chairman James Blitz, also a vice president of the satellite-radio company. “The DJs are pretty good at spontaneously including the kids in whatever they're talking about that day.” At WJLA, the kids pretended to forecast the weather with the green screen and toured the newsroom, the assignment desk, control room and weather center, said Abby Fenton, the ABC affiliate’s communications director.

There “seems to be a lot of continued interest in having opportunities to volunteer beyond just writing a check,” Brinkmann said. She cited a survey conducted during the foundation’s 20th anniversary last year. FCBA young lawyers liaison Mark Brennan said more than 100 members volunteer during the months required to plan charity auctions, and Brinkmann said more than 100 members volunteer during the scholarship selection process. “The feedback I get is that most of the other bars are amazed [by] how much we are able to do on a voluntary basis,” Zenor said.

A donor honor roll has been suggested to increase foundation donations, Phillips said. The foundation’s annual report releases the names of major contributors, and the foundation has considered giving special recognition to some donors, like FCC staff, Brinkmann said. Past major contributors include DirectTV, Google and AT&T. Although the foundation offers 10 to 15 scholarships each year to some Washington high-school graduates, the donations limit the number of scholarships provided, Weiss said. Brinkmann said the foundation determines if it will raise as much money as the year before, and if it will it either increases the number of scholarships awarded or the amount granted per scholarship. The foundation has been able to increase both the number and amount for the past two years, she said.

The foundation’s fund balance increased from $449,465 in 2008 to $808,608 in 2010. FCBA revenue fluctuated: $971,647 in 2007, $774,388 in 2008 and $958,788 in 2009. Zenor said he thought the 2008 economic slump may have contributed to the revenue decrease in 2008. Net expenses fluctuated as well: $985,658 in 2007, $877,877 in 2008, and $982,592 in 2009. The association’s fund balance decreased from $747,720 in 2007 to $621,227 in 2009. The FCBA’s 2010 Internal Revenue Service Form 990 didn’t include revenue, expenses or net assets. The FCBA received an extension to file last year’s 990, Zenor said.

Membership attendance at the chairman’s dinner, luncheons and annual seminar has either increased or remained steady in recent years, Zenor said. Attendance at the chairman’s dinner increased from 1,230 in 2008 to about 1,500 the past few years, he said. Luncheon attendance varies depending on the speaker, he said. The annual luncheon boasts the highest attendance because awards, scholarship winners and FCBA board election results are announced, although each luncheon averages 280-300 attendees, he said. The annual seminar’s attendance has been fairly consistent with about 250 attendees, Zenor said.